To be annoyed that my flexible working request has been turned down

[workisanightmare]

I requested to change my hours from 9-5 to 8:15-4:15. It just suits my day better and would make my evenings more productive.

it has been turned down because I need to cover until 5, because my colleague can’t due to health issues. AIBU to be a bit annoyed about this?

The op said she’s the only one there from 3.30

How many people work in the office and leave at 3:30? I must admit if I’ve been doing a role for a certain number of years and a new starter who was employed for a 9-5 decided after 6 months they wanted me to change my shift from 8-3:30 to 9-5 because they like the idea of having their evenings free I wouldn’t accommodate that.

If you re-read your message, OP, you will see it's all about what YOU want and what would benefit you - what about the company you work for? What benefit would your new work pattern be to them?

I’m not saying I think everyone should be made to work 9-5. I think though if they expect me to do it everyday then it would just be nice if someone else in the team could reciprocate the sacrifice and even do one day a month so I got to enjoy some of the flexibility I was offered.

Oh, and there’s anywhere from 25-30 a day in the office.

How many people work in the office and leave at 3:30? I must admit if I’ve been doing a role for a certain number of years and a new starter who was employed for a 9-5 decided after 6 months they wanted me to change my shift from 8-3:30 to 9-5 because they like the idea of having their evenings free I wouldn’t accommodate that.

The key to that is - would your bosses have told the new start in interview that they could accommodate that?

That's the problem here. The OP has been sold of a role full of flexibility and being accommodating and it's absolutely not flexible to the point of a special leave request process just for her (since her colleague has booked last minute)

They’ve broken the ‘psychological contract’ but presumably you have nothing in writing regarding what they offered about ‘flexibility’ at the interview stage.

Your best bet is probably to ask for a health and safety risk review over you lone working for 90 minutes most days; and to argue that it’s unreasonable to ask you (and no one else) to provide 3 months’ notice for annual leave.

Presumably they will lie again, like they did to OP.

OP I’d leave. They are treating you badly because you are the most junior member of staff and they just don’t care. It’s unreasonable to isolate you from socials and have you alone in the afternoon every single day. And the 3 months notice for annual leave is ridiculous. How long was the previous person in the role for?

I also got told today is the way it works is it’s the most junior person that has to stay, who then when someone else joins, they get to go onto their flexible pattern, if that makes sense?

if it was me, I’d offer to split it 50/50 across a month so that the junior person wasn’t in that position but I guess it’s just me. I guess I’ll start looking got something new because the entire thing is killing my spirit.

You can be reasonably annoyed that something that you would have liked to happen didn't.

Your employer can also have been entirely reasonable to have turned down the request.

These two things aren't mutually exclusive. We get to be annoyed about things even when no one has done anything wrong. Feel your disappointment or annoyance and maybe even a little woe-is-me. As long as you're not turning that into undeserved anger at others or letting it fuel poor behavior there's no problem.

You should definitely bail out because you can bet that even when a new person came in you would be first in line to cover them.

No this isn't fair. Past 3.30 you are the only one in the office because management have allowed every other member of staff to leave early, leaving them in the position where they have one person who can work til 5, and they claim cover is needed.
Is cover really needed? What would they do if you were sick on or holiday?

If that’s the case then why did you think they would ever grant it? They won’t want the office unmanned.

What in the world? 3 months notice? What if you need to attend a funeral or a doctor appointment? This is madness. I'd look for another job.

Because they promised me flexibility at my interview. Read the entire thread.

I would resent being the only person there every single day of the year apart from annual leave. I would be looking for another job. This is very unfair.

In terms of doctors I have to work the time back. So for example tomorrow they’ve told me I need to be there until 7:30 because I went to a doctors yesterday.

Surely you realised that any flexibility would only be while meeting business need though?

You’ve clearly not read the thread.

Well that makes sense. They can’t change everyone else’s hours just because you want to change yours.

I have a sense of you are being exploited a bit. It doesn’t feel right. Esp excluding you from everything. I would feel terrible as a manager/colleague.

I’m going to start looking. I think that’s the thing for me, there’s enough of us to only have to do one “late” day a month if needed. Even less than that if management were in the office too. But instead it falls to me, and im
working alone for a huge stretch of time everyday.

I have. They never explicitly said you’d be able to finish early, did they? They said they’re a flexible employer, which isn’t a lie because apparently every other member of staff is working flexibly, and it’s very possible if you asked to work 10-6 instead they could agree that flexible working request.

Flexible working is always subject to business need.

I think they are being unfair. For my staff rota no single person does all the opens/closes/weekends, it is all done on a fortnightly rota so everyone gets the odd 'duff' shift. I'm very flexible, and luckily the staff are too, and will happily swap shifts between themselves to accommodate each other.

WRT holiday notice, that is ridiculous! I would be looking for a new job, and making it clear that they'd basically employed you under false pretences!